Over 9 lakh govt primary students in U.P. still lacking Aadhaar

Director general (school education), U.P., Kanchan Verma, while sending a report of May 27, directed all BSAs to complete Aadhaar verification process as soon as possible

Of over 1.26 crore students registered in more than 1.33 lakh government-run primary (up to Class 5), upper primary (Classes 5 to 8) and composite (Classes 1 to 8) schools running across Uttar Pradesh, Aadhaar numbers of a whopping 9,01,106 students are still not available with the basic education department.

A teacher busy teaching kids in a government-run primary school in Prayagraj. (HT file)

Even though the Basic Education Council of U.P. has been making Aadhaar cards for students of its schools for five years now, Aadhaar numbers of a large number of children have not been made till date, say teachers of theses schools.

Due to this, there will again be a delay in transferring the financial assistance amount of ₹1,200 given annually to each student every year for their free school uniforms, bags, shoes, socks and stationery items etc directly in bank accounts of their parents/guardians, they add.

This financial aid is sent by the state basic education department directly in the bank accounts of the parents of the students through direct benefit transfer (DBT). But first, this amount is received by the parents of those children whose Aadhaar numbers are available.

Director general (school education), U.P., Kanchan Verma, while sending a report of May 27, directed all basic shiksha adhikaris (BSAs) to complete the Aadhaar verification process as soon as possible so that the assistance amount can be made available to the students well on time.

As per state basic education department’s data, maximum 44,477 students don’t have Aadhaar numbers in Lakhimpur Kheri. Likewise, there are 35,081 students in Bahraich, 34,573 in Azamgarh, 28,130 in Hardoi, 27,161 in Jaunpur and 25,297 in Budaun who do not have Aadhaar cards.

“The Aadhaar card making process of students lacking them in Prayagraj is under way in full swing and we are undertaking the exercise as a top priority,” said BSA, Prayagraj, Praveen Kumar Tiwari.